Confused With Oven Cross-contamination

[Sin3str0]

I've searched the forums, searched the net, and all I can find on the subject is "using a different toaster oven."

What about regular Ovens/Convectional Ovens? What are the rules to cross-contamination with these?

Also, can I use the same oven if I use a Pyrex container to cook my food?

Thank you.

[Tim-n-VA]

For the oven I don't think you really have to worry. The general guide would be if the same surface comes in contact with both gluten and non-gluten items. If you have cooked one of those pizza that say "place directly on the oven rack" you wouldn't want to put any non-gluten item directly on the rack. Generally in a dish in the same oven would be okay (but not at the same time due to bubblings/splattering).

[Gentleheart]

Someone on another thread did warn against using convection ovens that have been used for gluten baking because of the fan and circulation of air. I had never thought of that and am wondering about getting a new convection oven myself in case it is a problem. Mine is old and was used to bake literally hundreds of miniature loaves of whole wheat bread in the past. I bought it before knowing about my gluten sensitivities, from a guy who went around selling grain grinders and he baked and gave away fresh baked whole wheat bread at trade shows all over the country for several years. I cleaned it well, but didn't take it apart and clean the fan, etc. So I could have been getting contaminated from it all this time. It's hard to say. Thanks for the heads up!

But I agree. I wouldn't think a regular oven would be a problem as long as you don't set it directly on the racks and there aren't any crumbs on the surfaces. And baking in a covered container would certainly help too.

[Sin3str0]

Thanks guys! I really appreciate the quick response. =)

[mamaw]

I would not use any porous item for gluten-free that was used for wheat prior. I think that is a good rule of thumb. Most ovens are cleaned well & i never bake directly on my oven rack. That is a good point about the convection oven but I still use mine & haven't gotten sick.

[larry mac]

I believe it is theoretically safe if the obvious cross contamination prevention measures are followed. Having said that, please let me tell my oven story.

I've been gluten-free for two years. My wife has her gluten pop-up toaster. I have my convection toaster oven. Far as I know, she's never used mine (she prefers pop-up toast anyway, so it's always worked out well). I also often use my oven to cook lots of things, such as chicken.

Occasionally, I will toast a gluten bread item for her in my oven (I do almost all cooking in our household), such as a cut roll that won't fit in a pop-up toaster. I simply put it on a piece of aluminum foil. No problem, I'm happy with that.

Well, last night, she made her own supper and I noticed she also had some garlic bread sticks (how could I not, it filled the whole house with garlic toast smell, yum). I asked her how she toasted them and she said in your oven on a piece of aluminum foil, is that alright? I very begrudgingly said yeah I guess so. But it really wasn't. I found I'm not happy about it at all.

It's fine when I'm doing it, but not so much when someone else does it. I think that's partly because we all know that non-celiacs don't think like us. There's simply no way they can. They may desire to minimize cross contamination, but in practice, all of the hundreds of little things we take for granted just don't occur to them. To think otherwise is to hold an unreasonable expectation IMHO.

best regards, lm